Crib or cradle



(No Model.)

P. AGGER.

@RIB 0R CRADLE.

Patented Aug. 27, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER` AGGER, OF CINCINNi/JFI,l OHIO.

CRIB OR CRADLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,896, dated August 27, 1889. Application filed May 6, 1889. Serial No. 309,800. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, PETER AGGEE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cribs or Cradles; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference' being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to those cribs or cradles which are capable of being rocked upon supporting stands or bases, and my improvement comprises a specific combination of devices for temporarily locking the cradle to the base when it is desired to render theformer inoperative for the time being. These devices include a pair of pins projecting from the base, a pair of bell-crank hooks pivoted to the cradle and capable of being engaged with said pins, a pair of segmental gears at the inner ends of said hooks, which gears engage with each other so as to cause a simultaneous movement of said hooks, and a rod that couples one of the hooks to a turning device journaled either in the head-board or foot-board of the cradle. The proper turning of this device causes the hooks either to engage with the pins or to be disengaged therefrom, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a crib or cradle embodying my improvements, the upper part of the body and a portion of the cap being broken away and the locking device being disengaged. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of aportion of the cradle, the locking device being in the same position as in the preceding illustration. Fig. 3 is a similar section, but showing the locking device in its effective position. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the inner side of one of the grooved caps, said cap being detached from the cradle. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the two pivots of the coupling device and the adjacent portions of the stand, rocker, and grooved cap. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section of the devices that operate the bell-crank hooks. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of said devices, p0rtions of the ring thereof being broken away.` Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the devices that couple the sides of the cradle to the end posts thereof.

A represents one of a pair of customary stands or bases for supporting a rocking crib, cradle, or chair, and a, in Figs. 2 and 3, is the central longitudinal rail that connects said stands.

B is one of the rockers, carrying posts c c', to which the head or foot board C is attached, said rocker being coupled to the stand by a pair of short links DD', which are jointed together at d.

d is a screw that secures the lower link D to the base, and c is another screw wherewith the upper link D is coupled to the rocker B. This screw d has a collar d" fitted around it, as seen in Fig. 5, which collar traverses either of the inclined grooves e e on the inner side of a cap E, as represented in Fig. 4, said cap being secured to the end of stand A, and the latter being cut away at CL to admit the lower link D. Projecting inwardly from said stand are screws or headed pins F F', for the engagement of hooks G Il, pivoted to the rocker B at g h, respectively, and being furnished with levers G H ,which are preferably integral with said hooks, although they maybe rigidly attached thereto. The inner ends of these levers have toothed segments g h', that gear with each other in the manner shown, said devices G G" and H H constituting what I term the bell-crank hooks, which hooks should have some convenient means for readily operating them. I prefer, however, to couple one of said segmental gears to the lower end of a connecting-rod I, that is usually fitted up quite close M to theinner side either of the head or footboard C of the cradle, so as not to be conspicuous, the upper end of said rod being coupled by a screw vl to an annulus or ring J, adapted to have a reciprocating rotary motion within a circular groove j of said board, Furthermore, this board has a practically seinicircular slot j', traversed by the screw t', which enters a knob or ornamental boss K, secured to the eX- terior of board C by the screw k, with which latter the ring J and slot j are concentric, as more clearly seen in Fig. 7.

L is a recessed cap or block that conceals the operating devices above described.

In Fig. Sthe end posto has a pair of dowel- IOO pins M M that enter' socketsnn, in the end rail N of the cradle side or body N', said post being provided with a kerf m, having a transverse pin m. Adapted to engage over this pin is a hook O, pivoted at o to the rail N and having a lateral lug o', wherewith it is operated when occasion requires. When the boss or knob K is turned around so as to bring the screw t' about vertically above the pivot of said boss, as seen in Fig. l, the rodI is elevated, thereby disengaging the hooks G H from the pins F F', as represented in Fig. 2, and allowing the cradle to be rocked from side to side in the usual manner, during which movements the stop-screw or pivot d comes alternately in contact with the upper ends of the grooves e e', and thus preventsv said cradle being inclined so far at either side as to become unshipped from the supporting-base A. This contact of said pivot with the upper end of groove e is shown in Fig. 4.

When it is desired to lock the cradle so as to render it temporarily inoperative,'the knob K is turned around until the screw z' is Vertically below the pivot-screw 7c, as seen in Fig. 6, which act causes a corresponding depression of the geared segments g h', the result l being to engage the hooks G l-I with the screws F F', as seen in Fig. 3. The cradle is thus securely locked to the stand and cannot be rocked until said hooks are again intentionally disengaged from said pin, which act can be accomplished only by turning the knob K back to its normal position, as represented in Fig. l. To disconnect the cradle side N from the post c, sufficient purchase is exerted against the lug o to disengage the hook O .from the pin m and then said side is drawn bodily away from said post, the'dowelpins M M slipping readily out of the sockets 7?, TL

I claim as my invention- In combination with a crib or cradle rocking upon a supporting base or stand, the pins F F', projecting from said base', the 'bellcrank hooks G G H I-I, pivoted to the cradle at g h, respectively, and having at their in-I ner ends segmental gears g h, which engage with each other and thereby produce a simultaneous movement of said hooks, and a rod I, connecting one of said hooks with the turning device J, pivoted to the cradle, all as herein described and set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature gin presence of two witnesses. PETER AGGER.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN,

SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

